Automatic fire-sprinkler



(NoModel.)

A.F.CARPBNTBR.

AUTOMATIG FIRE 4SPRINKLIEZRl Nb. 546,087. Patented sept. 1o, 1895.

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ALBERT F. CARPENTER, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TVO-TIIIRDS TOBENJAMIN KIMBALL, OF SAME PLACE, AND THE MANUFACTURERS AUTOMATICSPRINKLER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-SPRINKLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,087', datedSeptember 10, 1895. Application filed May 28, 1894:- Serial No. 512,668.(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. CARPENTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Sprinklers, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to certain new and 1o 1useful improvements inautomatic fire-sprinkers.

The object of my improvements is to provide a strong rigid strut formaintaining the nozzle capped till subjected to heat sufficient I 5 tomelt the fusible joint in the strut, whereupon the water will be free tostrike the deector, and to provide such a deflector as will distributethe water to a large ceiling area and iioor area at the same time.

The peculiarities of my improvements will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference-letters indicatecorresponding 2 5 parts, Figure 1 represents a side view of my sprinkler:in its normal capped position; Fig. 2, a vertical central section onthe line y y, Fig. l,looking to the right; Fig. 3, a side detail View ofthe combined strut; Fig. 4t, perspective views of the two membersseparated, and Fig. 5 a plan view of my form of deector.

In various forms of automatic sprinklers in which a fusible alloy key orplug combines the parts which maintain the nozzle capped it hasheretofore been difficult to make a strong rigid strut or brace onaccount of the inherent weakness of the alloy and the direction in whichthe strains act thereon.

One of the features of my present invention 4o is to provide a strut oftwo members joined by a fusible alloy which is so placed between themembers as to resist the strains by the shearing rather than theadhesive tensile strength of the alloy. Then, after the nozzle 4 5 isuncapped, I aim to` distribute the water to a large ceiling areadirectly overhead, as well as at a distance from the sprinkler, while atthe same time an equally large iloor area is supplied.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A des;

ignates the nozzle-base of the sprinkler, having external screw-threadsby which it is mounted on the supply-pipe, as indicated by dotted lines,Fig. l. I will observe in explanation that these sprinklers are locatedat, say, ten-feet spaces on a pipe running near the ceiling offactories, stores, and other places where it is desired to guard againstiire by automatic contrivances. It is usual to place such sprinklersfrom three to five inches from 6o the ceiling. The upper portion of thenozzle is also threaded to receive a yoke B in an elliptical loop abovethe nozzle and sharpened on its inner edge, as shown in Figs. l and 2.The cap C, having a lead pac-king D, with acopper washer E interposedbetween the packing and the tip of the nozzle, is firmly pressed uponthe nozzle by means of a strut interposed between the top of the yokeand the cap C. This strut is composed of two mem- 7c bers, one partbeing a plate F, forming a brace proper and having a central `opening orslot-f, at the edge of which is a wing F at substantially right anglesto the top of the plate portion. fits in a notch in the top of the capC, and the upper portion lits under a notch or shoulder g upon the upperpart of a rider, which forms the other member of the strut. This riderhas a head G, on the under side of which is 8o a notch or shoulder g toreceive the upper end of the plate-piece, while a similar groove greceives the upper part of the knife-edge on the yoke. To the body,below the head, is attached a wing H at right angles to the grooves g gand adapted to match with the said wing F of the plate portion byprojecting through the opening or slotf. These two wing portions arethus substantially parallel and contacting with each other. A joint is9o made between the two by means of a fusible alloy, thus binding thetwo members of the strut together as one piece, as shown in Fig.-

3. By referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that when the strut isplaced in position between the yoke and the cap the notch or shoulder gis at one side of the central plane passing through g and the notch inthe cap in which rests the bottom of the plate portion of the strut.When the yoke is screwed down roo The bottom of this plate-piece 75 uponthe nozzle, the strut is compressed between the cap and the top of theyoke, forcing the mouth of the nozzle against the washer and leadpacking, making a perfectly-tight joint. l This,-however, brings astrain upon the strut, and because of the eccentric location of theplate portion with regard to the head of the strut there is a lateralstrain brought to bear tending to pull the wings apart. This pull isexerted, however, parallel to the surfaces joined by the fusible alloy,which is thus enabled to withstand a much larger strain than if thewings were being pulled apart directly transverse. In other words, thealloy resists the strain on the strut by means of its shearing strengthinstead of its tensile strength and its adhesiveness to thewing-surfaces joined.

I-n case of iire in the vicinity of the sprinkler the alloy will meltand the wings will slide past each other in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 2, under the pressure of the water beneath the cap, which actseccentrically upon the rider through lthe plate portion. The dotted linein Fig. 2 indicates the manner in which the rider will be thrown outwardand disrnembered from the plate portion of the strut. Thus astrut isformed which is well adapted to resist the 'strains incident to its usein capping the nozzle, but which will instantaneously free the cap underthe action of heat. The water thus freed is projected upward by theinternal pressure and strikes a delector I, mounted on the top of theyoke and acting in combination with the knife-edge below. rlhis deectoris not adapted to rotate, but is intended to remain fixed on the l topof the yoke centrally over the nozzle. It

is concaved below in the form of an umbrella,

but attened toward the edge, as shown, and

provided with a series of slits more or less radial and arranged in twoseries, according to their distance from the edge or rim of thedeflector. Fig. 5 shows a plan view,in which it will be observed thatthe deeper slits extend well in toward the center and that the outerslits divide up the rim into a series of teeth. Through these slits thewater projected from the nozzle tinds its way above the deflector.

In striking the sides of the slits the water is I also spread out inevery direction. The surface of the distributer between the slitsdefleets the water downward upon the floor. The knife-edge of the yokeassists in directing the stream against the sides of the slits, so thatthe stream is broken up into a perfect shower and distributedsubstantially the same proportion above as below. It is, however, moreimportant to secure overhead distribution than Hoor, sprinkling, andpractical tests of my sprinkler have established its superiority in thisrespect. I lay broad claim to this deflector and strut and do not limitmyself to the exact construction herein shown and described.

Referring to Fig. 1, the cap has alateral lug c to engage with the yokeand prevent the rotation of the cap and consequent twisting of the strutwhen the yoke is being screwed on the nozzle. The only strain that comeson the fusible joint in compression of the strut is the shearing stressdue to the eccentricity or out of alignment of the two ends of the strutand the meeting end of the plate-piece engaged with the overhanginghead. A great compression may thus be brought on the strut and be safelyresisted by the large soldered surfaces at the joint.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A tire sprinkler comprising a dellector, a yoke, a capped nozzle andan interposed strut consisting of two pieces: a plate piece bearing onthe nozzle cap in the plane of the yoke but tipped out of said plane atits upper end, having a vertical wing at right angles to said plane andyoke, and the other piece mounted on the first and bearing against theyoke, and having a plate wing fusibly joined to the matching wing of theplate piece.

2. A fire sprinkler comprising a capped nozzle, a yoke, a deflectorthereon, and an interposed strut formed of two piecesz--the one being adouble-legged piece standing on the nozzle cap and having a wing in avertical central plane at right angles to the plane of said legs-theother being mounted on the first piece and bearing on the under side ofthe yoke and provided with a wing portion also at right angles to theplane of the yoke, with its matching surface in the same centralvertical plane and fusibly joined to the wing portion of the firstpiece, substantially as described.

3. A tire sprinkler comprising a strut provided with wings fusiblyjoined, the matching surfaces thus joined lying in a perpendicular planepassing through the vertical axis of the sprinkler and at right anglesto the vertical plane of the yoke, the base of the strut and thehorizontal axis of engagement of the two pieces on which they rotatewhen said fusible wings are separated by the melting of the joiningmaterial under lire heat.

4. A fire sprinkler comprising a strut consisting of a supporting memberand a rider therefor,-the latter composed of abody located on one sideof said member and an overhanging hook-head and wing extension locatedon the other side of said member, with a fusible solder joint betweensaid wing extension and a matching surface on the supporti ing member.

5. A strut consisting of two members, the one a plate adapted to receivecompression at its ends, and having an intermediate veri tical slot anda wing at one edge of the slot at right angles to the plate; the other,a rider hooking over the end of said plate and forming a head projectingto the front of said plate, and having at the other end a wing ex- IOOIZO

the adjacent surfaces of said wings lying in substantially the sameplane perpendicular to the said notch or shoulder and matching 15 end ofthe plate piece, anda fusible material joining said wings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT F. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

C. H. TALMAGE, H. M. PLAIsTED.

